How long before I can tell if this is a real gain?

Here's my experience. I had been maintaining for about 6 months and I saw those usual fluctuations after a weekend of heavier eating like you mentioned but they always seemed to balance out after a few days (or a week in extreme cases). So when I came back from 6 days in Vegas and saw a 3 pound gain, I really didn't think much of it. After a month I realized that it was more than just water weight because it never went away. Deep down I knew it was a gain all along. I mean, you can't eat cookies and donuts for breakfast every day and drink from 8am-11pm for 6 days and not gain a little weight!

Only you know how much you ate and if you should expect a real gain or not. If you're really worried about it, change your calories for a .5lb/week loss until you stable out again. If it really is just water weight, you'll be back to normal in a week tops. If it's actual weight gain, you'll be on your way to fixing it.

My motto, and this is what I used when I was losing weight: is to compare weight today to weight 30 days ago. Some fluctuations are weekly while others are monthly so this has been a pretty good measure for me.

Happymelz wrote: »

I'm up a few lbs today but it is Monday and I'm always up 1-3 lbs due to heavier eating on the weekends and it usually goes back down mid week.

How long should I wait to see if the weight from the Holidays is real before I adjust my eating?

I mean, I don't want to stress over a few lbs and push myself to cut back if I don't even need to.
Just didn't know if someone with longer maintenance experience could provide input.

Thanks!

You have to have enough data points for meaningful trend analysis. This is why I tend to weigh daily or at least 3-4 days per week. I know I'm going to fluctuate 3-5 Lbs any given day throughout the week and that doesn't bother me...but it gives me enough data points to get a good average.

Basically I know that I've put on about 4 real pounds since October given that my previous running average was 182 Lbs (with fluctuations anywhere from 178 - 186) and my current average is 186 with fluctuations from 184 - 191.

I know that this is due by and large to holiday parties and other goings on and my general tendency to become a bit less active during the colder months, missing workouts with the holidays, etc. I don't worry about it too much as this is pretty cyclical for me at this point...the festivities are over so I will naturally be consuming a bit less and I usually find a renewed vigor this time of year to start getting back on my bike...after all, my first century of the season is in May...time to start laying down a good base of mileage.

I freaked out because I thought I was 10lbs up. Ok...I know the amount of calories you have to eat and blah blah blah to gain weight. I told my trainer and she told me to stay off the scale until after the first of the year. She said that likely what I was seeing was water weight from eating salty and sweet foods and of course booze. I was having a really hard time understanding because I was going to the gym like normal. It was very hard and to confess, I did peak a few times. She ended up being right. I got on the scale this morning (forced to by my doc) and sure enough I had not gained anywhere close to 10lbs as a matter of fact it was more like I was close maintaining over the holidays.

I personally HATE the scale. Of course, I will always get on it.

Whether I'm trying to gain or lose, I never care about 3 pounds. Once it hits 5 pounds, I start to care. More than 6 pounds and I know it's not just a minor fluctuation - I'm either doing something very right or very wrong.

I weigh in about once a week, but what helps me maintain? Measuring. I measure my waist and I see immediate changes if I'm retaining water and bloated or having a 'skinny' day. Helps me re-evaluate what I should be eating (and drinking) that day.

Less red meat, salty foods, lighter fare like chicken and turkey instead. A few days of adjusting my food accordingly and I'm back to my normal size and typically my weight has balanced as well.

I went "off plan" from the 12/21 to 12/31. Back on plan on the 1st and upon weigh in i was 23lbs higher and it was noticeable in my pants. Since then i lost the 23lbs and an additional 1lb so it looked to be all water weight.